Worries of a potential volcanic eruption have prompted Spanish authorities to evacuate residents and tourists on one of the Canary Islands. Thousands of tiny tremors have recently intensified, with the biggest one reaching a magnitude of 3.4, they said. The seismic activity indicates magma on the move. Info

Thousands of tiny earthquakes have rattled the island of El Hierro since this July. But recently the tremors have grown stronger, prompting concern from officials, who fear that a volcano on El Hierro, one of the Canary Islands, could be about to erupt.

On Wednesday, more than 50 residents and tourists staying at the base of the volcano were evacuated, and 11,000 locals nearby were advised to stock up on water, medicine and flashlights in case of an emergency.

Some 8,000 tremors have been registered on the island since July 19, according to the Spanish National Geographic Institute (IGN). Though most of the quakes occurred at sea and were too minor to be felt, they have been increasing in intensity, with one reaching a magnitude of 3.4 on the Richter scale early on Wednesday morning.

I remember some experts claiming that volcanic eruption in Canary Island could cause huge chunk of mountain to crash down to the sea, causing catastrophic trans-Atlantic tsunami to hit U.S. east coast.

“I remember some experts claiming that volcanic eruption in Canary Island could cause huge chunk of mountain to crash down to the sea, causing catastrophic trans-Atlantic tsunami to hit U.S. east coast.”

It’s the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma that’s of concern, not this one. Of course if this one triggers a Cumbre Vieja eruption, that would be different. Even then, though, there’s no guarantee that the next eruption will cause the landslide...it might take several more.

You seem to know a lot about the subject. I saw the TV program on NATGEO or The Science Channel a couple of years ago, but when it happens (the La Palma mountain tsunami) would the resulting 160’ high wave completely wash over the Florida Peninsula on into the Gulf of Mexico?

“I remember some experts claiming that volcanic eruption in Canary Island could cause huge chunk of mountain to crash down to the sea, causing catastrophic trans-Atlantic tsunami to hit U.S. east coast. “

I guess I could say some stuff here, but, as they say “Loose lips sink ships.”

I remember some experts claiming that volcanic eruption in Canary Island could cause huge chunk of mountain to crash down to the sea, causing catastrophic trans-Atlantic tsunami to hit U.S. east coast. A specific island which has a specific topography, and this is not that island.

11
posted on 10/01/2011 7:47:29 AM PDT
by Cheburashka
(If life hands you lemons, government regulations will prevent you from making lemonade.)

...but when it happens (the La Palma mountain tsunami) would the resulting 160 high wave completely wash over the Florida Peninsula on into the Gulf of Mexico? Until the landslide actually happens all one can do is speculate about how big the landslide will be. Until you know how big the landslide is you can't be sure how big the tidal wave would be.

But hey, we have to sell papers or get hits on our web page to make money, so let's go with the most extreme possibilities. Who knows, maybe it will actually be as bad as we speculate.

Also the tsunami expert we use needs grant money, so it's in his interest to inflate the possibilities of catastrophe as much as possible.

13
posted on 10/01/2011 7:55:09 AM PDT
by Cheburashka
(If life hands you lemons, government regulations will prevent you from making lemonade.)

“You seem to know a lot about the subject. I saw the TV program on NATGEO or The Science Channel a couple of years ago, but when it happens (the La Palma mountain tsunami) would the resulting 160 high wave completely wash over the Florida Peninsula on into the Gulf of Mexico?”

I’m no expert, but I seriously doubt even a 160’ wave would significantly impact the GoM after traversing Florida, in fact I don’t think it would make it clear across at all. The long wavelength of this type of wave would allow it to potentially go far inland though. There might be some direct impact to Mexico and maybe south Texas as the wave passes south of Cuba...it also depends on how deep the bottom is there.

I understand there’s of controversy about how large this wave would be at the US East Coast even in the worst case scenario. It is worth noting that landslides have caused some amazing waves in other places like Alaska.

I’d just as soon not find out how big it’ll be in my lifetime...here’s hoping! :-)

Might not be a terrible idea, for any sea level east coast FReepers to keep at least enough gas in their car to get a hundred miles away from the coast on short notice, when everyone else is also trying to do the same.

Heck even a bicycle perhaps too. Just in case roads get blocked with traffic.

I read this morning that the earthquakes are still quite deep (19 to 14km) and not yet moving upward. The lack of movement is a good thing but could change, of course, particularly with the frequency this volcano is showing. Thanks for the update.

27
posted on 10/01/2011 8:31:13 AM PDT
by JimSEA
(The future ain't what it used to be.)

I remember some experts claiming that volcanic eruption in Canary Island could cause huge chunk of mountain to crash down to the sea, causing catastrophic trans-Atlantic tsunami to hit U.S. east coast.

I think that one is an island called Las Palmas, but I could be mistaken. They predict a 100+ meter tsunami, with about an 8 hour warning time for those who hear about it right away.

33
posted on 10/01/2011 8:49:26 AM PDT
by JimRed
(Excising a cancer before it kills us waters the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!)

The big landslike tsunamis in Alaska occured where the wave energy was channeled and focused inide of bays and straits.

In the wide open Atlantic, the energy from a landslide-created tsunami would spread out in 360*, rapidly dissipating its energy.

A single-point event like even a giant landslide would NOT be like the Indian Ocean Christmas tsunami, where the earthquake took place over 100s of miles, pushing up a huge linear tsunami. In that situation, the energy can’t dissipate in 360*, because the long wave reinforces itself or “holds itself up” across its length.

Anybody who conflates the Christmas earthquake tsunami with a single-point landslide tsunami is ignorant of the physics involved.

The remaining part of La Palma will block some of the wave, limiting the effect on Europe. The wave has a free run across the Atlantic on the other side.

Here is my problem. If I have a wave 200 feet tall starting out a one mile radius, it has a circumference of 6.28 miles. After it has crossed the ocean and has a radius of 3000 miles and a circumference of 18,850 miles, this 200 foot tall wave has increased in volume by a factor (and kinetic energy) of 3000 times. This wave has kinetic energy equivalent to 1/2mv^2. Where did all this kinetic energy gain come from during the transit across the ocean?

Might not be a terrible idea, for any sea level east coast FReepers to keep at least enough gas in their car to get a hundred miles away from the coast on short notice, when everyone else is also trying to do the same.

Anybody in Florida might do better to get to the roof of a sturdily-built apartment building than try to get to anything that looks like "high ground" in Florida, when everybody else is trying the same. A quick look at Google Earth shows that almost all of the Florida peninsula is under 100 feet in elevation, with at least half of Florida seeming to be under 50 feet.

General evacuation tip: Have a good state-level map in your car, along with a GPS, and avoid highways at all costs. As Katrina showed, highways quickly turn into slow-moving parking lots. If there's a street route to where you're going, use streets and minor roads rather than highways.

See 38. You are wrong in general, and also wrong in particular to believe that “The remaining part of La Palma will block some of the wave, limiting the effect on Europe.” Tsunami waves are not “blocked” by islands, they are encircled by the wave energy which simply wraps around them.

There is so much ignorance of physics and hysterical misinformation on these stories I want to just hit my head on my keyboard.

The bike isn’t a bad idea. There are few Eastern metropolises that could be evacuated in any reasonable time. It recently occurred to me the sensibility of knowing the nearest significant elevation at all time; It wouldn’t take that big of a wave to sweep all the way across Florida, amazingly enough; you can go clear from mid-state Atlantic coast to Gulf coast without getting higher than 20’.

Water depth only effects the normal sort of tsunami - sidewise or up and down earth movements. The landslide variety is a standing wave - it litterally stands on the water surface - or at least that is my understanding.

Why worry about Florida? The entire East coast up the the height of the wave - what ever that height turns out to be - will be obliterated - in the sense that everything will be scowered down to bedrock.

Good points; any thoughts on whether or not there would be any particularly nasty effects from that part of the wave that gets trapped inside the Gulf of Mexico, or any portions that would reflect off of the northern sides of South Africa and, perhaps via Cuba, end up trapped in the Gulf as well?

50
posted on 10/01/2011 9:27:08 AM PDT
by Oceander
(Not voting for the Republican Candidate is tantamount to voting for Obama)

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.